Clothes washing machines can either be vertical or horizontal axis for moving clothes during the washing operation. In the horizontal washing machine, the drum or basket rotates either in one direction or intermittently in both directions causing the clothes therein to tumble during the washing operation in the soap and water cleaning solution. In the vertical washing machine, the agitator reciprocates or oscillates to continually change its rotation direction for moving the clothes to effect cleaning thereof in the cleaning solution.
In order to improve clothes moving in the vertical washing machine, it is known to also include an auger having a spiraling vane or screw disposed coaxially atop the agitator. Disposed between the auger and the agitator is a conventional ratchet mechanism which converts the oscillating, bidirectional rotation of the agitator into unidirectional rotation of the auger so that the auger screw is rotated for pulling of the clothes downwardly in operation in the cleaning solution for improving the effectiveness of the washing operation.
A typical ratchet mechanism includes a disk attached to the top of the agitator from which extend radially outwardly therefrom a plurality of ratchet pawls. A cooperating ratchet wheel in the form of a ring having a plurality of radially inwardly facing ratchet teeth is attached to the bottom of the auger and is disposed in a common axial plane with the pawls. Oscillation of the agitator in turn imparts force on the pawls which intermittently are driven radially outwardly for engagement with the cooperating ratchet teeth. As the agitator rotates in one direction, the pawls are driven radially outwardly and engage the ratchet teeth for also rotating the auger in the same direction. However, when the agitator rotates in the opposite direction, the pawls disengage the ratchet teeth and are indexed to succeeding teeth without imparting additional rotation to the auger. In the next cycle, the ratcheting action is repeated with the auger rotating solely in one direction as the agitator oscillates in two directions.
Since the pawls and teeth are disposed in a common horizontal plane and require initial pivoting of the pawls to engage the teeth, lost motion occurs therefrom. Accordingly, optimum efficiency of conversion of the oscillating agitator rotation to the unidirectional rotation of the auger is not achieved, which correspondingly decreases the efficiency of the washing operation.
Furthermore, typical ratchet mechanisms include many individual components which require suitable assembly and retention provisions, and which adds to the complexity and expense thereof.